


Dear husband of mine

by ForYouAndYourDenial



Category: GOT7
Genre: Confessions, Denial of Feelings, Jealousy, M/M, Misunderstandings, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Strangers to Lovers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-08
Updated: 2020-06-06
Packaged: 2021-03-02 19:33:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,336
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24072229
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ForYouAndYourDenial/pseuds/ForYouAndYourDenial
Summary: Just what kind of crazy person marries a stranger who already has a partner?""I did"Jinyoung married Jackson for money. Jackson married Jinyoung for a residence permit. where could this messed up relationship possibly lead them?
Relationships: Park Jinyoung/Jackson Wang
Comments: 42
Kudos: 63





	1. Welcome to the family

**Author's Note:**

> Hi!   
> This is my first JacksonXJinyoung fanfic, hope you'll like it!  
> please enjoy <3

Do you take Park Jinyoung as your lawful husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and cherish until death do you part?"

"I do"

"And do you take Jackson Wang as your lawful husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and cherish until death do you part?"

"I do"

"I now pronounce you husband and husband. You may now kiss the groom"Jinyoung looked at his now so-called husband. His face was just as blank as his own. None of them moved an inch. Normal couples wouldn't hesitate to just smile and kiss. But they weren't a normal couple. A normal couple wouldn't get Married as strangers. And a normal person would definitely not let himself be bought into marriage.

Jackson, his so-called husband, was the first one to act. He looked rather stiff as he leaned forward and planted a kiss on Jinyoung's lips. Well, more like a peck. Jinyoung didn't even get the chance to react Before the priest announced them as Mr. and Mr. Wang. A Cold hand grabbed on to his and soon he was led down the Beautiful marble stairs. Every step felt heavy and he couldn't help but want to turn back the time and stop himself from going through with this. But, He knew better than well, that that wouldn't even have been possible, not to mention that he hadn't had any choice. They were greeted by a middleaged couple, Jinyoung had been informed about them and also seen pictures, they were his parents in law. what were their names again?

"Congrats, Welcome to the family" the older man said and offered a handshake. Automatically he returned the handshake, but he found no words to utter. What could he possibly say to a man that he had never met Before? Nothing. All he could possibly do was to dumbly mumble a thank you and hope he didn't sound impolite. The older woman pulled him into a hug and whispered the same Words her husband had said, this time he didn't have the energy to speak. A smile was the best he could offer. God, he felt exhausted.

"I know this is the first time we've met. But don't ever hesitate to talk to me. We're family now and family takes care of each other" The woman was extremely sweet, she was genuine, Jinyoung could tell. He smiled and squeezed her hand as a thank you, he honestly meant it but at the same time, he couldn't help but feel that they both were just pretending. A play of a happy new family, only to convince their surroundings.

A hand on his back gave him a cue to turn around. Words couldn't describe what he felt when he locked eyes with his best friend. Those dark gentle Eyes gave him the strength to not burst out in tears. They gave him hope of maybe being able to last the day. He was pulled into a tight hug. The embrace lasted shorter than he wanted, but the smile on Youngjae's face gave him the small push he needed to finally relax, even if it just lasted for a moment.

"Congrats, Jinyoung, you might be the oldest but who would have thought that you would be the first one to get married," he said as he playfully reached over to pinch Jinyoung's cheek. He forced a laugh, trying to make it sound as genuine as possible.

Youngjae then turned to his best friend's husband. "I'm glad to finally meet you, this wedding really came as a shock to us all" he offered a handshake that Jackson didn't hesitate to return "Jinyoung's mother couldn't be here but she let me know that she's happy to welcome you into the family" he smiled Before gaining a more serious expression as he said "but let's just make one thing clear. If you ever hurt him, you will have to deal with me afterward"

The guilt once again grew in Jinyoung's chest, Oh how he wished that he could tell Youngjae the truth. That this was all just an act or more like an agreement, that he had sold himself into marriage for money.He was once again pulled out of his thoughts as Youngjae waved his hand in front of his face "Jinyoung, you alright there? You completely zoned out for a second. Looks like your husband is overwhelmed" he chuckled.

Jackson smiled "you alright there sweetheart?"He asked as he placed a strong hand on jinyoung's lower back.

He swallowed "yes, sorry. I'm alright" he hoped his smile looked real, he didn't know if he could fake it better. There was no need to worry anyone, after all, going through this would get him what he wanted and that's what's more important.

"your Mom said she would call you later. She felt guilty she couldn't be here. She really wanted to see you get married"The mention of his mother made his heart drop, he swallowed around the lump that had formed in his throat. He needed to stay strong, at least for now."I'll look forward to it"

Youngjae had Always been good at seeing right through him, an ability he had Always hated. This time, however, seemed different. he didn't seem suspicious at all, and that alone made him happier than he had been the entire day. He received one last hug from his friend before they were greeted by the rest of their guests.

Thank god they hadn't planned a reception, just a dinner and then it would all be over. The dinner went smoothly, or at least he thought it did. Youngjae sat next to him, so at least he could hold a floating conversation with someone. He didn't speak much with Jackson, well not more than needed. The few words they actually spoke to each other were only to keep the act going. The dinner eventually ended, Jackson's parents were the last to leave before the not so happy couple drove to Jackson's apartment.

They entered the apartment without acting like the traditional newlywed couple. If they had been a normal couple, Jinyoung would probably have been carried over the threshold. But, they weren't. As soon as they set foot inside the apartment, Jackson loosened his tie and let it fall to the marble floor. 

Jinyoung felt uncomfortable, this was the place that he would live in, but it didn't feel like home, not even a bit. He followed his husband to the kitchen, a very nice kitchen. It was big with black cupboards and a matching kitchen island. The dinner table was also big, graced with eight chairs and candles on top of it.

"This is the kitchen. You can eat anything you like and use all kitchen equipment, just make sure you don't break anything"

Jinyoung nodded as he followed Jackson to the livingroom. The room had a white theme with black touches, the roof was high and the floor shiny. "The livingroom" he stated. He then pointed at one of three doors decorating the elegantly white walls "that's my bedroom" he then went over to another door and pushed it wide open. Behind the door was a bedroom with a king-sized bed. "This is your room, you got a bathroom connected to it. I won't enter your room so I expect you to not enter mine, is that clear?"

Once again he nodded, he didn't feel the need of responding with words. He understood what Jackson was saying and would respect his demands, well probably, but for the moment he just wanted to get it over with.

Jackson turned around to leave but halted himself and once again turned to face him."Just what kind of crazy person marries a stranger who already has a partner"

Jinyoung wasn't sure if the question was meant to hurt, all he knew was that he refused to budge "I did" he responded.

A humorless snort was heard from Jackson as he said "don't you have any self-respect?"

The answer was simple, Jinyoung didn't even have to think about it "Doesn't seem like it. I could ask you the same"

Jackson furrowed his brows, seeming unsatisfied with the answer as he said "I got a reason for it. The interesting question is, why did you do it?"

"Why do you care, dear husband of mine?" He responded, putting extra weight on the husband part. He knew that he shouldn't let it get to him, but he felt provoked and therefore felt the right to do the same in return.

A small growl rasped from Jackson's throat, he was pissed but Jinyoung couldn't care less. Jackson didn't say anything more but instead turned on his heel and rushed out of the apartment. Most people would feel guilty, Jinyoung didn't, he felt relief. He had wanted to gain peace the entire day, so he felt extremely happy to finally receive it. The peace didn't last for very long before his cell phone started calling. He felt the inner pockets in his white suit and found it.

The caller-id showed a number he knew more than well. He put the phone against his ear and wanted to cry so badly when he finally heard the voice of his mother."Hi mom" he swallowed as he listened to her soothing voice

"My Little boy, I'm so happy for you. How are you?"

"I'm fine" he didn't get the chance to return the question Before she said "send my regards to your husband, I wish you both all luck for the future. I really look forward to meeting him"

Jinyoung could feel the ache in his chest, it killed him to not be able to tell her the truth, he knew the truth would hurt her, would make her feel guilty even if it had been his decision alone to go through with this. "Thank you, I'll tell him that" his voice felt small and strained, he needed to change the subject if he didn't want to end up bawling his eyes out like a small kid "but mom, guess what!" he said. 

"what?" she asked.

"I got the Money"

the other end of the line became quiet, for a moment he almost believed that she had hung up on him, but then she spoke, this time sounding concerned "did you take a loan? I told you I didn't want you-"

"no, no, I didn't take a loan. I promise-"

"then how did you get the Money? you haven't done anything reckless, have you?"

He hated the fact that he had to lie to her, but he had already made up his mind. The truth would be his secret, his alone. No one would have to find out about it. he did the first thing that came to his mind, he laughed. "How I got them is not important" he said "what's important is that you'll finally be okay, that you can get your bone marrow surgery. you'll be healthy again, mom, I promise."


	2. The list

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GUYS! Thank you so much for all the kudos and the kind response i got on the first chapter, It made me really happy, so thank you <3  
> Before you start Reading I just have to say that Everything I've written about the hospitalsystem in this chapter, is just taken from my own wild imagination. So I really hope that no one will get offended as its just fiction :) 
> 
> I really hope that you'll like chapter 2, I really don't want to disappoint you guys<3
> 
> Please enjoy!

Jinyoung woke up in his new bed, it was the day after the wedding and he was still feeling extremely tired. He had gone to bed rather early but still hadn't managed to catch more than three hours of sleep. He had mostly tossed and turned, hoping for the night to cast a sleeping spell over him, but to no avail.

He sat up and immediately wished he could just fall back to sleep. but he wasn't naive, he knew his body well and therefore knew that his wishes would be impossible. He pulled the covers away from his body and stood up from the bed. His body felt stiff and heavy, probably because of exhaustion. He walked into the bathroom, craving for a shower. He didn't shower for very long, he knew he had more important things to do than wasting time.in the shower. Wrapping a towel around his waist, he walked over to the mirror. What he saw didn't shock him. The dark circles under his eyes were extreme. this wasn't anything new though, dark circles under the Eyes felt like a part of his body nowadays, sleep didn't come easy to him. He knew that girls used something called concealer to cover up unwanted pigment spots, maybe it would work on him as well? Nah, he would probably suck at applying it, sunglasses would have to do.

He pulled his hand through the wet locks of hair, just making sure that he had gotten rid of all the hair products. normally he would use a hairdryer to dry his hair, but unfortunately, he wasn't sure of where he had put it. The move had happened suddenly and had been so extremely stressed that he had just thrown it into the first box available. Maybe he could ask Jackson if he could borrow his? No, that probably wouldn't be a good idea. After the Little discussion they had had the evening before, Jackson had rushed out of the apartment only to return 4 am. Jinyoung had laid sleepless in his bed and had heard the man clumsily stumble into the apartment. he had cursed quite a lot, sounding rather drunk. Jinyoung hadn't bothered to go up and check on him. the man seemed to hate him which was completely understandable. They were married on paper nothing more and nothing less. And HE had no obligation to pass up on the man.

He sighed, there was nothing much he could do about the situation anyway. He left the bathroom and Went back to the bedroom to get dressed. He decided to put on skinny jeans and a v-neck t-shirt. the first thing he noticed when he entered the living room was the man lying all spread out over the couch. Jinyoung Went closer to get a better look at his so-called husband. untamed hair stuck out in every possible direction and he was still wearing the same clothes he had worn at the wedding, minus the tie and jacket. the shirt was partly open and was no longer neatly tucked in. the light snores revealed that the man was in deep sleep and he reeked of alcohol.

Despite the heater in the room, it was slightly chilly. To be fully honest he played with the thought of just leaving the man there but his conscience got the better of him. Jackson's head was laying in a rather awkward position, that could pull some muscles. "Hey" he reached over to carefully poke the man's shoulder "maybe you should head to bed instead" he said, not wanting to shake the man awake. 

Jackson mumbled something incomprehensible and shifted his position but remained asleep. Jinyoung rolled his Eyes, he'd prefer to not touch the man more than he already had, after all, people had different Comforts when it came to skin-to-skin Contact, Jinyoung himself for an instant weren't one who felt too comfortable when being touched by someone he wasn't very familiar with.

"Jackson" he tried again "you'll Catch a Cold if you sleep here"

Jackson let out a throaty sound but showed no signs of waking up. Jinyoung knew a handful of things he could do to Wake the man up, the issue was the time. he needed to get going if he wanted to avoid traffic and get to his appointment on time. He did the first thing that came to his mind. He Went into Jackson's room and grabbed his duvet. Yes, he did remember his command about not entering his room, but what else could he do? There was just no way that he could get pissed about this. Jinyoung put the duvet over him and made sure to cover the man up to his shoulders. When he felt satisfied enough, he Went out to the hall and put on his outdoor clothes, the day before had been a bit chilly so he grabbed the warmest Jacket he could find Before leaving the apartment.

As he had no car, he had no choice but to take the bus. The bus wasn't very crowded, just a couple of teens in the back and a few elders seated on the lower seats in the middle of the bus. The bus ride where short, he didn't even feel the need to sit down. As he stepped off the bus he couldn't help but feel the extreme satisfaction that rose in his chest. It had been a long time since he had felt this uplifted. Usually, the mere sight of the hospital made his heart clench, but not today. Today he felt that things could only get better.

As he walked into the hospital he headed directly towards the reception desk. The nurse sitting behind it immediately shone up the moment she laid eyes on him. Her name was Mi-kyong, a very sweet, middle-aged woman who many times had offered him support when she thought he needed it. She was one of the nurses who often did the check up's on his mother and had through that developed a friendship to both of them. Her genuine concern towards his mother was obvious and for that Jinyoung would be forever grateful.

"My, my, If it isn't Mr. Wang~" she singsonged, she had probably heard about the wedding from his mother and therefore knew his change of last name. Wang, the name felt so foreign. He didn't like carrying the name of a man he bearly knew, but he had had no choice. The last name changing had been one of many requirements on the contract, so he hadn't had much of a choice.

"Mi-kyong" he greeted her as he received a clumsy hug over the wide desk "how have you been?"

"oh, don't you dear make this conversation about me Young man. Tell me, how was your big day?" she chuckled the excitement clear in her high-pitched voice.

Jinyoung smiled "It was good" He didn't know what else he could say, he had never been a good liar, so the fear of giving himself away was a matter of course.

Rosilda didn't seem satisfied with the answer and pushed for more information "good? is that all you'll give me, I thought we were friends, kid" she joked "don't be so secretive."

Jinyoung seriously didn't know what to say or how to act. It all felt so fake, no, it was fake, so how could he possibly pretend to be all happy and giddy? In his mind that wasn't even possible. Mi-kyong must have mistaken his silence for overwhelmingness, which was completely fine with him.

"Now tell me, where is the lucky man? Your mother told me she hadn't met him either"

"Oh. Um" Jinyoung cursed himself inwardly, could he sound more insecure? If he wanted to hide the truth he would have to spit out better answers, cause this bullshit he had been telling so far would sooner or later break. "It all happened very fast, there simply wasn't enough time to introduce him to anyone. He's working a lot."

Mi-kyong didn't even try to conceal the skeptic expression on her face, which didn't surprise him. She had always been a woman of her word, determined and honest and she definitely wasn't reserved enough to keep her tongue when she had something on her mind. "Oh, honey. I might be getting old but I'm not stupid. If it's time you're talking about, both you and I know that there is always time."

Jinyoung couldn't argue, she was right. Excusing himself by claiming lack of time, were nothing but stupid. Time could never lack, the universe revolves around time, only volition could lack and nothing but his own continence could be the villain of that piece.

"Oh well, I won't dig my nose into it" she said "you'll talk when you're ready" she filled in as she typed something on the computer in front of her. "the doctor will be out any minute, please have a seat while you wait" she smiled. He nodded and just as he was about to head towards the waiting area, she once again called out to him. "Jinyoung, your mother just had her pills. You know how tired she can get, but if you want to see her after you've talked to the doctor, don't wake her up. She needs all the rest she can get"

"I know"

Xx xXx xX

He didn't have to wait for long, the doctor came out sooner than he had expected. He was satisfied to see who the doctor for the day's appointment was. Lim Jaebeom, an old friend. They had gone to the same high school, and Jinyoung knew he could put all his trust in him. he was led into the man's office before being pulled into a tight hug. Just for the sake of comfort, Jinyoung wanted it to last just a few seconds longer than usual.

"Hey, you alright there? You haven't been this affectionate towards me since back then" the humor was clear in his voice, but that didn't lessen the truth in his words. Except for going to the same high school, they had also been dating. They had only dated for a couple of months. Their relationship had been a good one and could probably have lasted if it hadn't been because of Jinyoung. They had both gone off to college, but not the same one, in fact, they had ended up hours apart. The first month had been fine, but then the insecurities had begun. Jinyoung wouldn't claim that he had trust issues, but, the fact that he was scared was undeniable. He had been younger and very inexperienced at the time and therefore rather insecure. Sometimes it had passed weeks without JB even trying to contact him and then when Jinyoung had called, he was either busy or too tired to speak for more than 10 minutes. Jinyoung had then decided to end their relationship and that had been it. They hadn't been in any contact after that, well not until a year ago. He had been surprised to find out that one of three doctors in charge of his mom had ended up being his ex-boyfriend.

"Yeah, I'm fine" he smiled, well, he tried to smile "what about you doc?" Doc was a pretty old nickname. When he had learned that JB aimed to become a doctor he had joked about calling him doc, somehow that little joke had naturally become real.

"It's been a long fucking night, so I'm a bit tired, but otherwise I'm alright" he said as he tiredly dragged his hand through his dark hair. "But hey, I heard about your wedding, congrats. I had no idea that you were seeing someone, even less engaged"

Inwardly Jinyoung rolled his Eyes outwards he smiled. Just how many people knew about the wedding and how many would he have to lie to? "Yeah, thanks. Did my mom tell you?"

"Yeah, she pretty much told everyone" he chuckled before all of a sudden looking more serious "though, I would lie if I claimed that I wasn't disappointed that you hadn't told me yourself".

Yes, Jinyoung felt guilty. But what else could he possibly have done? The wedding had been so sudden and everything about the relationship was nothing but a big fat lie. Heck, He didn't even know his so-called husband. All he knew was that he was rich.

"My love life is something I'd rather not speak about with my ex" cruel words. But again, shitty lies felt like his only escape. 

JB didn't seem offended, instead, he reached over to ruffle his hair "Yeah, you're right. But, hey, let's talk about your mother" And just like that, the issue was dropped, as if it hadn't existed to begin with. He had always been the type to not hold grudges, something Jinyoung truly admired about the man.

"Yes, so I thought we could discuss a date" He began. the sooner the better, he thought. His mother had needed a bone marrow transplant for a while, but they hadn't had the money to pay for it.

"You mean a date for further discussion about her treatments?"

"No, the surgery. Like I said over the phone, I can pay for it now. Planning a date for the surgery is step two, isn't it?" As JB's smile faltered, Jinyoung could immediately tell that something wasn't right.

"Jinyoung" he started. Judging by the tone in his voice, he knew that what was coming next wouldn't be good. He swallowed, fearing for the man's next words. JB reached out, putting a gentle hand on his shoulder "that's not how it works" his eyes showing extreme pity as he spoke and Jinyoung didn't like it, not one bit.

"What do you mean" it had been meant as a question but had come out as a demand, he wanted an explanation. He needed it."Look, you got the money and that's great. It means that you'll be able to pay for the surgery. But for the hospital that means that we'll finally be able to put your mom's name on the list"

"List?" A shaky breath escaped him as he struggled to remain calm. "A list among other people who're waiting for a transplant" he explained "Jinyoung, I thought you knew that"

Jinyoung shrugged the man's resting hand off his shoulder. Anger quickly raising through his body. "You told us to fix money for the surgery and I fucking did, so what's the goddamn problem!? Nobody ever told me about a list" he had by now lost all control over his flaring emotions as he now full-fledged yelled at the doctor.

"The list is meant for those in need of a bone marrow donor. the first name on the list is the first one in line. That's how it works, that's how it's always worked" JB sighed "donors aren't that easy to find. That's why we're keeping to this system"

"Then why the hell didn't you say so?" He couldn't remember the last time he had been this angry. "So what you're saying is that you don't even know when she'll get the surgery and that is IF she even gets one?"

JB didn't have to express it with words, his expression was enough to confirm it. Jinyoung swallowed, the anger quickly turning to sadness and he no longer felt the power to utter even the smallest word. Whatever he could say wouldn't help and deep down he knew that JB didn't make up the rules. But that didn't make it all easier. He looked torn and the doctor couldn't help but feel guilty, not that he had filled out the information the younger man obviously didn't know about, but for causing him unintentional pain. He had been shocked to find out that the man had not known about the list, that's one of the most important things to inform before even discussing a transplant. He would definitely need to talk with the responsible doctor who had ignored to fill in all the important details about the list.

He once again pulled the Jinyoung into an embrace, hoping to give him some kind of comfort, even if just physical. Jinyoung made no movement to respond to the hug but didn't pull away either, so JB figured it would be okay to hold the man a tad bit longer.

Xx xXx xX

Jinyoung entered the apartment and slammed the door in the process, he knew that it wasn't very polite towards the neighbors but right there and then, he really couldn't care less. He had left the hospital right after the appointment. He simply couldn't stand seeing his mother asleep in a hospital bed after the new information he had received, not knowing if she would spend her last minutes in life in that very bed.

He threw his jacket on the floor and didn't even bother to put away his shoes. He just wanted to escape to the quiet of his room. As soon as he had closed the bedroom door he wasted no time before hastily diving under the undone covers of his bed, desperately wanting to shut out the rest of the world. The first sob didn't surprise him, the second one even less. His chest felt hollow and he didn't know what else to do but to give in to the stabbing pain that threatened to eat him alive. His mother wasn't death-sentenced just yet, she still had a chance of getting a transplant. So yes. He could see that most people would think that this was the overreaction of the year. But, He had naively thought that it was all over. Why? because he had married a stranger, earned money for it, and could, therefore, pay the surgery. But apparently, that wasn't enough, she still wasn't guaranteed a lifeline.

He just felt lost.

The knocking on his door came as a surprise. He had completely forgotten about the fact that Jackson most likely would be home. Licking his dry lips he managed to rasp out a throaty "what?"

"Hey, you alright in there?" The same stiff voice from the night before asked. Oh god, He felt embarrassed, had he really cried that loud? Probably. Why else would Jackson even ask?

"Yes, it's nothing" his voice came out broken and unstable, he didn't care though. He just wished for the man to leave. It was quiet on the other side of the door. Had He left? Seemed like it. He let out the shaky breath he unintentionally had been holding and shifted to a sitting position. He needed to calm down. He hugged the duvet closer and pushed his knees to his chest. Breathe in through the nose and out through the mouth, he repeated this three times before he once again heard the knocking on the door. This time, however, it was slid open.

There, Jackson stood in fresh clothes and damp hair, a great improvement from how the man had looked the very same morning."You don't sound alright" he stated.

Jinyoung stared at him from under wet lashes and wanted nothing but to sink through the floor. How humiliating... He did not want to be seen like this and what's even up with all this? Jackson had spat the rules quite clearly the day before. "Yeah, but I am. Could you please leave? What's the point of creating rules if you're not even going to stick to them yourself?" Normally Jinyoung would never speak to anyone this rudely, but to his defense, the man kinda deserved it.

"What rules?" he asked, looking confused.

Jinyoung rolled his Eyes. "To not enter each other's rooms" he said "the one rule you just broke" he filled in. He was no longer crying and therefore dared to speak more boldly.

Jackson snorted before he stated "Well if I'm not mistaken, you were the first one to break that rule, just this morning if I'm correct. And I technically didn't break any rule. You see, I haven't even set foot into your room. All I did was to push the door open."

Indeed. He was right. He stood in the doorway but had technically not entered the room. Jinyoung felt slightly embarrassed as he looked away, avoiding the other's gaze. "Don't you have something else to do than to pester me?" He asked, clearly bothered.

He received a sigh in return "Look, I know that we're just forced to live together but can't you at least just try to act a little bit civilized. Whatever your problem is, I don't appreciate you taking them out on me."

How ironic... Jinyoung let out a humorless chuckle "Yeah because you treated me so well yesterday, didn't you" sarcasm, he had always been good at that. Which in turn seemed to piss Jackson off. with a clenched jaw, he said nothing more before closing the door and disappeared from his sight. And for that Jinyoung was grateful.


	3. Deal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys!  
> Once again, thank you so much for all the love this story has received so far. I'm so happy you like it <3  
> Hopefully, you'll like this chapter as well :)
> 
> please enjoy!

Days came and went, soon it had passed two weeks since the wedding. Jinyoung hadn't seen much of his husband, not that he minded it. In fact, he found it quite relieving. Jackson probably thought the same, after all, he had made it quite clear from the very start that he rather not deepen their relationship more than needed. He hadn't been home for the past three days, nor had he called to tell him where he was. Jinyoung wasn't worried, he was probably just staying over at a friend's place or perhaps the partner he'd mentioned before.

Jinyoung had just gotten home from visiting his mother at the hospital. This time she had been awake, she had been happy to see him. He hadn't had the time to visit her for about a week so they had both been happy to finally being able to see each other. He had dreaded to tell her about the whole list system, he hadn't wanted to upset her. Therefore he had been surprised when she had just smiled and said "there is nothing to be upset about. Life doesn't always go our way. If I survive, I'd be happy. But if I don't, know that I didn't die unhappy, I've been given some really wonderful years as compensation."  
Jinyoung had been the one who ended up crying. His mother had comforted him while stroking his dark hair and whispered soothing words, creating a memory he would forever be holding close to his heart.

It was slightly past seven pm and he still hadn't had dinner. He headed to the kitchen to make something to eat. well, that was easier said than done, upon opening the fridge he realized that it was nearly empty, they didn't even have eggs. He could cook some rice but wasn't too tempted by the thought of eating it without some kind of side dish. He simply made up his mind to go to the grocery store.

It didn't take him very long to get there, the closest grocery store was only 15 minutes walking distance from the apartment. As they nearly had no food at all in the fridge, he decided to really go for it, that way he wouldn't have to think of running to the grocery store for at least the rest of the week. He ended up getting two full paper bags of only fruit and vegetables, Another two plastic bags of only meat and one paper bag of only dry goods. He paid for the food and it wasn't until he was heading out of the store that he realized that he had been too enthusiastic with the shopping. The bags were too many and definitely to Heavy to carry all the way back to the apartment all by himself. He inwardly cursed himself for not thinking one step further Before buying more than he obviously could handle. with no other choice, he had to call a cab. The driver helped him with the shopping bags and less than 5 minutes later he was dropped off in front of their apartment complex.

The driver drove off, leaving him with the many bags piling at his feet. His stomach growled for what felt like the hundredth time in less than an hour. He really looked forward to soon be able to finally eat something, but one thing first. First, he had to get the food home. He exhaled deeply Before He collected all of the bags, Three in one hand and two in the other.  
It was a true struggle but he managed to get them into the building and thank Lord for the elevator, he'd never been able to carry them up the stairs to the seventh floor.

He put the bags down, as the elevator guided him to the right floor. His hands felt slightly sore and dry from the handles that had grind rather roughly against his skin. The elevator stopped and the doors slid open. In a haste, he struggled to collect the bags once again Before the doors would mercilessly Close Before him. unlucky as he was one of the handles snapped and all of a sudden the floor of the elevator was occupied with vegetables. An exhausted noise left his throat as a tomato rolled out of the elevator and the doors started to slide Close. Just what in the world could he have done to deserve this? It really felt like he had no kind of luck, as if the World had completely turned against him, truly frustrating.

Just Before the doors had closed completely a foot pressed in between them to hinder it. The doors once again slid open and Jinyoung was surprised to see who the foot belonged to. Jackson.

They ended up staring at each other, none of them saying a word. It wasn't until the doors once again attempted to Close that Jinyoung remembered where he was. He bent down to collect the out spilled Groceries, he tossed them down in the closest bag while Jackson used his hands to once again push the doors open. With the floor once again free from vegetables, he was ready to once again collect the bags, but Before he even had the chance to reach for them, Jackson had already grabbed Three of them. Jinyoung looked at him, feeling rather surprised, Jackson didn't meet his gaze though. He silently left him in the elevator with the remaining two bags. Jinyoung grabbed them and hurriedly followed him. It didn't take him long to figure out why Jackson had been standing outside the elevator, he hadn't made a move to unlock the door, which indicated that he had most likely lost his keys. Had he been waiting for long?

Jinyoung managed to take out his own keys and with no struggle unlock the door. In silence, they carried the bags into the kitchen. Jinyoung wasted no time in starting to unpack the food Before putting them away, while Jackson quietly took a seat at the kitchen island. It would be considered pure bullshit if Jinyoung claimed that he wasn't surprised that Jackson hadn't just put the bags down and left the room already. So far, all they had done was to ignore each other, for two whole weeks. If Jinyoung was watching Tv in the living room and Jackson came in, he would have been up and gone Before Jackson even would have the chance to sit down and the other way around. For Christ's sake, they hadn't even had a meal together so far, they both cooked separately, if at all. So the fact that Jackson hadn't fled the room yet felt extremely weird, dear he say awkward?

He didn't know what to say or rather how to act around him, what could he possibly do to make things less tense? Simple. Nothing. He'd just focus on unpacking and hopefully, Jackson would sooner or later be bored and leave.

15 minutes later, Everything unpacked and put to Place, the only thing left was to Cook dinner. If only it had been that simple, Instead Jinyoung found himself in a dilemma. Jackson was still comfortably seated, with his chin resting in his palm, scrolling through his phone. As he was still there, in the same room, wouldn't it be quite rude to not cook for both of them? Yet he didn't know if the gesture would be appreciated if he decided to Cook for the both of them. So far all their encounters had been unpleasant, none of them making an effort to get on the other's good side, so why should he feel obliged to cook for him?

Yet, before he could even stop himself, the words had already left his mouth "Um... I was going to make dinner, you want some?" He was sure that Jackson would just glare at him and then leave the room so he was rather surprised when he almost answer immediately "Uh, yeah sure, that would be nice".

Jinyoung nodded before turning around to look for the needed kitchen equipment. As it was already late and he was extremely hungry, he had bought ingredients to make hamburgers, it would be quick and tasty.

Taking out a bowl to mix the meat in, he realized that he didn't know if Jackson had any allergies "Is there something you don't eat?" he awkwardly asked as he took out multiple Spices from the cabinet.

Jackson shifted in his seat and pointed at the item in Jinyoung's hand "Yeah, actually, could you skip that one?"

Jinyoung looked down at the can in his hand, cayenne pepper. arching an eyebrow he asked "you're allergic to Cayenne pepper?"

"No, I'm just not too fond of spicy food" he declared, scratching the back of his head.

"Oh" he lamely voiced, not knowing what else to say. Was he supposed to carry on the conversation, small talk? That would feel way to strained. Besides, Jackson would probably just find him annoying, so therefore he decided to stay quiet and focus on cooking.

As he moved around in the kitchen he could feel Jackson's Eyes boring holes into the back of his head. Why? He had no idea. He couldn't Think of anything he could possibly have done to trigger anything, he was therefor surprised when Jackson was the one to break the silence between them.

"Jinyoung, look" he exhaled "I'm sorry for what I said after the wedding. I don't think you're crazy, I just had a really shitty day"

"Then we had something in common" Jinyoung responded with a small smile forming on his lips. He truly did appreciate the apology, he hadn't expected one nor had he hoped for one. So the fact that Jackson came out with an apology on his own gave Jinyoung a somehow better Picture of the man. Could it be that Jackson wasn't as bad as he thought? Yeah, probably. "I guess I should apologize too. I was pretty rude the other day" he confessed. Jinyoung had never been one to defend bad behavior and was definitely not going to start any time soon, so admitting to his wrongs was just natural for him.

He looked up to meet Jackson's gaze and felt something strange in his gut to see him smiling back at him. "No, don't worry about it" he said and put his phone down on the countertop "let's just-" he paused, looking like he thought things over Before he continued "Can't we just let the past be the past and maybe, you know, start over? I mean I'm sure we both are tired of tipping on our toes around each other."

Jinyoung stared blankly at him, he would be lying if he claimed that he wasn't slightly overwhelmed. Things had taken a drastic turn and he felt like it was too much for his brain to take in at the same time. He must have looked as Clueless as he felt as Jackson quickly filled in "I don't mean that we have to be best friends or anything. Just that we maybe should get to know each other, at least a little bit. I mean we're stuck in this fake marriage for at least three years, we can't go around ignoring each other for that long"

He was indeed right, it just didn't make sense that they would keep going as they had done so far, it just wouldn't be sane for any of them. If he didn't want the next three years to be a living hell, they would simply have to solve things before things became too bad. "Yeah, you're right" he agreed.

Jackson's slightly serious expression relaxed as Jinyoung continued to speak "Maybe we should take each day as it comes and clear the air? I really hate this awkward atmosphere."

"agreed" he nodded "how about we start during dinner? I think we both need to know a little bit more about each other"

Jinyoung, couldn't agree more "Deal."


	4. Dinner

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys!  
> Once again, thank you for the positive response on the previous chapters, you're the best <3  
> To those who commented on the last chapter, I'm so sorry for thanking you guys so late, don't think that I don't appreciate your comments cause I do and I'm Always happy Reading them <3
> 
> Also for this chapter, I was a bit insecure about some things but decided to go along with them anyway. Hopefully, I didn't ruin your opinion of the story :)
> 
> Please enjoy!

Jackson ended up cutting the vegetables while Jinyoung grilled the meat, they did so in silence. Both too occupied with their own thoughts to have a fleeting conversation. Jinyoung was glad to have finally come to some sort of agreement, that they probably would be able to act like civilized people around each other from now on. He didn't expect things to go easy from here, but at least he wouldn't feel like an uninvited guest.

When all the preparation was done they fixed their own Burgers Before taking a seat at the table. They sat across from each other, this would be the kind of conversation that needed face to face interaction, after all, some really important matters needed to be discussed.

Jackson didn't hesitate to dig in, he soon had his mouth filled with food while Jinyoung bearly even had the time to grab the burger. "You must have been really hungry" he stated as he stared at the man in front of him who ate as if he hadn't seen food for days.

Jackson swallowed the food in his mouth Before nodding as he said "you could say that" he took a swig of water Before he continued "I was too caught up in the studio, I forgot to eat."

"I can see that" he mumbled mostly to himself, yet loud enough for Jackson to hear, either he ignored it or he didn't hear it. Jinyoung was just about to dig in as well but halted as Jackson's words finally sunk in "studio?" He questioned. It wasn't until now that he realized that he actually had no idea of what Jackson did for a living. In fact, there was close to nothing he actually knew about the man, it was probably the same for Jackson. Jinyoung had been informed very little about the man he was marrying, but to him that hadn't mattered, the only thing mattering to him had been the Money. 

"What exactly do you work with?" he asked, taking the first bite of his burger. It tasted good, he had definitely succeeded in seasoning the meat, too bad Jackson had rejected most of the spices, he was definitely missing out on something. Jinyoung looked up from where his eyes had been glued to the food in his hands and were surprised by the look Jackson was giving him. It was hard to describe it with words but did he dare say that the man looked annoyed?

"don't act stupid, it's annoying" He said between bites. the answer had been short and definitely not what Jinyoung had expected. It was just common sense to know what once supposed husband was working with. Jinyoung felt confused, had he said something wrong? Was it just his imagination or had Jacksons just insulted him? That just couldn't be it, he hadn't said anything that could have been taken wrongly.

He looked at his fake husband, expecting him to clarify exactly what he meant with the sudden change of attitude, only it didn't come. Instead, he just stared right back at Jinyoung, as If expecting him to be the one to clear things up. That was just ridiculous, he hadn't done anything wrong. "So that's it, we're back at Square one?" Jinyoung asked and put his burger back on his plate, all of a sudden feeling less tempted to eat the food in front of him. He had always been one to lose his appetite easily, a problem he knew needed to be taken seriously, yet he hadn't.

Jackson shrugged his shoulders as he rather nonchalantly said "No, just that stupid questions deserve stupid answers" he had also stopped eating and stared right back at the slightly younger man.

Jinyoung, couldn't quite grasp the situation. Were they once again arguing or what? he had simply asked one simple question and had received an arrogant answer in return. They had just agreed to get to know each other and leave all their grudges behind, so what could have possibly stirred the other man up? This was just ridiculous. "How was the question stupid? I asked because I genuinely wanted to know" He stated.

"It's stupid because you already know the answer to it" Jackson spat back, looking as irritated as he sounded.

"But I don't though. So don't just go around assuming things, asshole" Yeah, he knew that he probably went a bit overboard with the unnecessary asshole-comment. but to be fair, Jackson had done a 180° turn and was in fact acting like one.

Jackson looked shocked at the comment, he definitely hadn't expected it, which showed in his reaction all the more. However, he recovered from the shock quickly and retorted "It all stood in the papers we gave you Before you agreed to sign the contract, did I seriously have to spell it out for you?"

"Oh" all bubbling anger immediately left Jinyoung's body as he realized his own mistake "I didn't actually read them" he confessed. He realized how stupid it sounded as he said the words out loud, and it was. He had gotten a chance to know more about the man he was marrying before closing the deal but had decided against it. He had been too desperate to even worry about the person he'd have to live with for 3 years. Back then he had just thought about the money and how the marriage would be the only solution to save his mom.

Now it was Jackson who looked completely confused, the previous frown on his face was now gone as he instead stared blankly at him. "you didn't?"

Jinyoung shook his head, knowing he probably looked as stupid as he felt.

"But you had a week to read through them, are you saying that you seriously skipped it? that you married me despite not knowing who I was?" Jinyoung had expected to see many things in Jackson's face, but amusement was not one of them, was that a smirk? he wasn't sure, but whatever it was it wasn't what he had expected.

"Yes" his voice came out weaker than he wanted it to, probably his conscience finally speaking up.

"Fuck" Jackson sighed "You're pretty weird, you know that?" Jackson snorted. And just like that the tension was once again gone as if it hadn't existed to begin with.

Jinyoung would lie if he claimed that he didn't feel slightly speechless, he really didn't know how to wrap his head around things, even less how to react to them. What could he possibly say? So instead he kept quiet, focusing his gaze on his hands in his lap. He had known from the very moment he had signed the contract that things wouldn't be easy, he had tried to get used to the thought but it had ended up being harder than he had expected.

Jackson was the one to break the silence "Did you seriously call me an asshole?" he chuckled.

Hearing the question, Jinyoung couldn't hold back a laugh of his own. He had never been one to throw insults at people and the few times that he had, he had almost Always ended up regretting it after a while, this time seemed no different. "I didn't mean to call you that, I'm sorry" he said, sincerely meaning it although having a hard time remaining from laughing. The fact that Jackson seemed to have caught up on the Word was just a tiny bit hilarious as he didn't seem to be the type who would get offended by it.

"I can't Believe that my supposed husband is the first one to call me that in years, literally years" Jackson laughed "I guess I was acting like one though"

Jinyoung didn't have to say anything to confirm it. Instead, they just smiled at each other, both feeling some sort of ease for once. Maybe this was what they had needed, a small icebreaker? Jinyoung suddenly feeling as if the conversation ahead wouldn't be as stiff as he had expected.

"I'm sorry though, I really am. Asshole or not, I shouldn't have called you that"

"It's alright, seriously, don't worry about it. It just surprised me, I guess" he admitted as he pulled his fingers through his dark hair "Not many people dear to insult me nowadays"

"Why not?" he asked, genuinely curious.

"You seriously didn't read the papers, huh?" Jackson sighed Before continuing "I really hate saying it. It feels like I'm bragging every time. seriously it would've been so much less cringy if you had read the papers" he admitted, it was clear in his words that he didn't enjoy sounding like a brag but somehow felt like he ended up doing so anyway. "I'm a singer" he explained "I already have a career in china. People are too scared to say what they usually think, because of my status, you know. It can be suffocating sometimes"

The information really did come as a surprise, not that Jackson didn't look like someone who could be famous, he was handsome and judging by his voice he'd probably have a pretty nice singing voice too, It just made the situation all the more questionable. Why would someone famous have to fake a marriage? He probably had a bunch of people who'd like to be his wife without having to fake it, besides didn't he already have a girlfriend? "I don't want to pry or something, but could I ask you something?"

Jackson arched a perfectly sculpted eyebrow at his words "sure, ask away"

Jinyoung didn't feel like he had the right to know the answer to the question, but at the same time, he hoped that Jackson would tell him at least something, even if just a Little "What made you do it? I mean marrying a stranger, didn't you say that you already have a partner?"

He didn't expect to receive an answer, so far, most of his questions had led to the man leaving the room or triggered his bad temper, so he expected no different this time. He was therefore shocked to hear the older say "at least you know that I got married to easier get a residence permit, right?"

Jinyoung nodded, that much he knew. It was one of the first things they had informed him Before signing the contract.

Jackson continued "I'm about to start a career here. At first, it seemed simple, but then all these complications starte- no, long story short, getting a residence permit was the dealbreaker for me to get signed. My girlfriend's not korean, she just lives here due to her studies so that wasn't really an option. And then my manager came up with this idea, that I get married to someone on paper and live with them until I get my citizenship. It's just complicated, I don't even know how to explain it properly" something in his voice revealed that he was exhausted, It wasn't until then that Jinyoung noticed how tired the man looked, he probably hadn't slept properly, much like himself. Lately, he hadn't been able to catch much sleep, the new living arrangements had taken harder on him than he first had expected and due to his own troubles he had completely forgotten that they were two in this situation and the other half were probably struggling just as much as him.

"Well, now you know the reason why I pulled this crap. Now, what I want to know is, why did you?"

Jinyoung didn't feel ready to tell a man he barely knew, practically a stranger, why he had gone through with a marriage he didn't even want. But the fact that Jackson had decided to reveal his reasons, spoke for itself. It was admirable how the man had let his guard down enough to trust him with his reason. Despite not feeling ready to reveal much of his own reason, he couldn't help but feel obliged to do it, after all, Jackson had been honest with him and therefore deserved the same honesty back. But at the same time, they had set no rule on how much they would reveal to each other, so maybe it would be alright to only tell him a little bit and skip the deeper details? yes, that's it. Eventually, he probably would tell him the entire truth, but not yet. He wasn't ready to share it just yet. 

Just as he was about to open his mouth Jackson cut him off "my first theories about you being a fame seeker doesn't seem relevant anymore" It was meant as a fun nab, but Jinyoung couldn't help but feel that there was a bigger meaning to it than Jackson let on.

"You thought I was a fame seeker?"

"Yeah, I mean, why else would you marry me. Either it's for the fame or you're just desperate to get married"

"Or it could've been for the Money" he filled in, studying the other's expression as to see if it would change and it did

"Ah, so that's it. you're a golddigger then?" the lightly strained voice was back and Jackson didn't even try to hold back the snarl that formed on his lips. For some stupid reason, Jinyoung couldn't help but find Jackson's constant change in behavior fascinating, least to mention impressive. He could however see a clear pattern now, a self-defense mechanism, which was completely understandable. With Jackson's line of work it wouldn't be strange for him to hate both golddiggers and fame-seekers as he probably had to deal with them often, this also explained his poor behavior up til now as he had gone around thinking he had married one.

"If that's what you wanna call it" Jinyoung said "but I wouldn't"

"yeah? then what would you call it?"

"desperation maybe? not everybody who needs money is golddiggers you know"

Jackson didn't respond, he just stared back. Face blank and completely unreadable.

"Normal people don't have the kind of money you have" He couldn't really grasp it but he felt more upset for every Word that left him. Things were still so raw and he still didn't know how to handle them. how he managed to remain stone-faced was a wonder "Money has never been a matter of course to me. I've earned my money, just like you but in comparison to you, my salary isn't enough to pay for the things in my life that matters, I'm working two jobs but it's still not enough."

"Why did you need the money then?" looking slightly guilty. Jinyoung chuckled, he hadn't meant for the man to feel guilty, he just wanted to make him see things through different Eyes.

"My mom needs surgery and I couldn't afford it"

He didn't give him much but still, it was enough to make the man look even more guilty than before. Guilt was written all over his face and Jinyoung didn't like it. Guilt often turned to pity and he had never liked being pitied, not by anyone and he wasn't going to start now. So the best thing he could do to avoid it was to change the subject.

"Does your girlfriend know about this?"

mission succeeded as the previous topic easily escaped Jackson's mind "Yeah, she wasn't very happy about it" He stated, scratching the back of his neck tiredly "It was her Idea I'd marry a man instead of a woman, that way she wouldn't have to worry"

"Oh" Jinyoung voiced, that made sense "but she's alright with me being gay?"

"you are?"

Jinyoung nodded, a bit shocked that the man hadn't been filled in on that little detail. He had informed the meddler of his sexual orientation as they had asked him about it and had therefore thought that it had been of importance but apparently it wasn't.  
"You got a problem with it?" He asked. Studying the man's expression in an attempt of reading it.

Jackson didn't seem bothered at all as he retorted "no, it's cool bro" so Jinyoung decided it was safe to trust the man.

Once again they both fell silent as they once again returned to eating the now cold burgers, this time however it didn't feel awkward, just normal. And that alone was comforting.

they finished the food and cleaned the dishes in silence, both of them feeling quite satisfied with how the evening had played out. They hadn't really gotten to know each other on a deeper level yet, there was still a lot to find out about the other, but for the night Jinyoung felt content. After all, they had a lot of time to figure each other out from now on, this was just the beginning.

It was nearly 10 pm when they finally finished up in the kitchen. Jinyoung had an early shift the next day so heading to bed was his next destination and so it seemed for Jackson as well. As they both walked through the livingroom towards their separate bedrooms Jinyoung couldn't help but notice how different Everything in the room suddenly felt, it still didn't feel like home but at least it felt a lot more welcoming and for that Jinyoung was happy.

Just as he was about to enter his bedroom, he halted himself "Hey, Jackson" he said.

Jackson who had just pushed his bedroom door open, immediately turned his attention to the younger "yeah?"

He felt a Little ridiculous as he said the words out loud and he really didn't understand why he felt the need to say them, but for some reason, he did "Good night"

Jackson just stared at him for a moment Before the corner of his lip stretched into something that looked like a smirk "Yeah" he said "G'night".

**Author's Note:**

> hope you liked it!  
> Thank you for Reading <3


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